Roller skates with transverse-oriented wheels

ABSTRACT

A roller skate includes a boot and at least a pair of wheels that are mounted to an underside of the boot. The wheels are oriented at an acute or perpendicular angle to the traditional straight ahead longitudinal direction of the boot so that, in use, the user moves at least somewhat laterally when skating. The orientation of the wheels can be adjusted with a lock-down device being used to fix the wheels in a desired orientation.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to roller skates and to wheel mounting arrangements for roller skates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Roller skating can be a form of recreation, exercise, sport, and even transportation. Roller skates often come in two varieties including the traditional four wheels set apart in side-by-side pairs, and the inline variety that typically includes three to four wheels aligned in tandem. Roller skates are ordinarily designed for rolling only in the forward and reverse directions that are generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the user's feet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a roller skate that includes a boot and at least a pair of wheel assemblies. The boot has an underside that extends along a longitudinal axis from a back end and to a front end. Each of the wheel assemblies has a wheel and an axle. The wheel assemblies can be positioned in at least a first position in which both of the wheel assemblies are positioned in the same direction with respect to each other, and are positioned nonparallel to the longitudinal axis. During use when the roller skate is in an upright position, the wheels are in contact with a skating surface that is below the roller skate and the wheels rotate about an axis of rotation that is static and that otherwise does not move.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a roller skate that includes a boot having an underside that extends in a longitudinal direction from a back end and to a front end. At least two wheels are mounted to the underside and can be adjusted between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, the roller skate rolls in a direction that is at a right angle to the longitudinal direction. And in the second position, the roller skate rolls in a direction that is at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a roller skate that includes a boot, at least two wheel assemblies, and a lock-down device. The boot has an underside that extends in a longitudinal direction from a back end and to a front end. The wheel assemblies are mounted to the underside. Each wheel assembly has a wheel and an axle. During use when the roller skate is in an upright position, the wheels are in contact with the skating surface that lies below the roller skate with the wheels rotating on the axle and about an axis of rotation. The wheel assemblies can be adjusted about an axis of adjustment between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, both wheel assemblies are directed at a right angle to the longitudinal direction and the axis of rotation is directed in parallel with the longitudinal direction. In the second position, both wheel assemblies are directed in parallel with the longitudinal direction and the axis of rotation is directed at a right angle to the longitudinal direction. The lock-down device allows a user to lock and unlock the wheel assemblies when the wheel assemblies are positioned in the first position or the second position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a user utilizing a pair of roller skates constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a roller skate as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the roller skate of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the roller skate of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a second exemplary embodiment of a roller skate;

FIG. 6 is a sectioned and fragmentary view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the roller skate of FIG. 5, showing wheels adjusted to an angled position;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the roller skate of FIG. 5, showing wheels adjusted to a conventional position;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a third exemplary embodiment of a roller skate;

FIG. 10 is a sectioned and fragmentary view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a roller skate;

FIG. 12 is a sectioned and fragmentary view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the roller skate of FIG. 11, showing wheels adjusted to a first angled position;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the roller skate of FIG. 11, showing wheels adjusted to another angled position;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view showing a fifth exemplary embodiment of a roller skate having a stopper;

FIG. 16 is a front fragmentary view taken along line 16-16 of FIG. 15, showing the roller skate in an upright position;

FIG. 17 is a front fragmentary view of the roller skate of FIG. 16, showing the roller skate pivoted at an angle to a skating surface;

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of a sixth exemplary embodiment of a roller skate having a stopper;

FIG. 19 is a front fragmentary view taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 18, showing the roller skate in an upright position; and

FIG. 20 is a front fragmentary view of the roller skate of FIG. 18, showing the roller skate pivoted at an angle to a skating surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-20 show several exemplary embodiments of one roller skate 10 of a pair of skates that can be used for recreation, exercise, sport, or transportation. The roller skate 10 allows a user to roll in more than just a straight-ahead direction in which a user faces, and instead to roll in directions at an angle to the straight-ahead direction.

The roller skate 10 can be of the side-by-side pair variety, or of the inline variety. Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, a first exemplary embodiment of the roller skate 10 includes a boot 12 and a pair of wheel assemblies 14. The boot 12 can be fitted to a user's foot and can be tightened and loosened by one or more adjustable straps 16, laces 18, or a combination of both. The boot 12 has an underside 20 that extends from a front end 22 in which the user's toes are located, and to a back end 24 in which the user's heel is located. The underside 20 extends lengthwise along a longitudinal axis A; in this sense, a longitudinal direction is parallel with the longitudinal axis A, and a lateral direction is parallel to a lateral axis B and is perpendicular, or at a right angle, to the longitudinal axis A.

The wheel assemblies 14 are mounted to the boot 12 and move the roller skate 10 over a skating surface 26 (shown in FIG. 16). Though shown as having a front and rear wheel assembly 14, the roller skate 10 can have more than two wheel assemblies such as three or four wheel assemblies. The wheel assemblies 14 are oriented in the same direction and are parallel with respect to each other. Referring still to FIGS. 2-4, each wheel assembly 14 includes a bracket 28, an axle 30, and a wheel 32. The bracket 28 can be unadjustably mounted to the underside 20 by a fastener such as a bolt 34, a screw, by welding, by adhesion, or the like. The bracket 28 is fixed in its orientation by the bolt 34 and does not move with respect to the underside 20. The bracket 28 is shown forked with a base 36, a first portion 38, and a second portion 40 extending therefrom. In other examples, the bracket could have other constructions including having a base with one portion extending from only one side.

The axle 30 helps support the wheel 32 with the bracket 28, and allows the wheel to rotate about an axis of rotation C. The axle 30 is inserted through openings in the first and second portions 38 and 40, and is inserted through the wheel 32. The axle 30 may include a male member tightened into a female member. The wheel 32 rolls against the skating surface 26 to move the roller skate 10 therealong during use. The wheel 32 may include a center hub portion and a hard rubber tire 42 molded or attached circumferentially around the hub portion. The hub portion may have a center opening that receives the axle 30.

In use, the roller skate 10 allows a user to roll in a direction that is nonparallel to the longitudinal axis A. That is, the roller skate 10 rolls in a direction that is at an angle other than zero degrees to the longitudinal direction, when viewed in a two-dimensional plane similar to the view in FIG. 3. For example, the roller skate 10 rolls in a direction D that is parallel with the lateral axis B and that is at a right angle to the longitudinal direction. The axes of rotation C are directed along and are parallel with the longitudinal axis A. In another example the wheel assemblies 14 can be fixed in another orientation in which the roller skate 10 rolls in a direction D′ that is at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction when measured toward the front end 22, and in which axes of rotation C′ are also directed at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction when measured toward the back end 24. In this example, the acute angles can be any angle between one and eighty-nine degrees inclusive with respect to the longitudinal axis A; indeed, the acute angles can both be forty-five degrees.

A second exemplary embodiment of a roller skate 110 is shown in FIGS. 5-8. The features of this and subsequent embodiments that are in common with the first embodiment will be apparent from the drawings and thus will mostly not be repeated herein. The roller skate 110 can roll in two or more directions. For example, a wheel assembly 114 can be rotated about an axis of adjustment E to a first position (FIG. 5), to a second position (FIG. 7), and to a third position (FIG. 8). In this embodiment, the roller skate 110 includes a lock-down device 150.

The lock-down device 150 allows a user to lock the wheel assembly 114 in any one of the positions, and to unlock the wheel assembly so that it can be adjusted to another position. Referring to FIG. 6, the lock-down device 150 may include a screw 152 to secure the wheel assembly 114 in the selected position, and has a detent device 154 that helps locate distinct increments which represent the various positions. The screw 152 can be a wing-screw that is tightened and loosened by a user's fingers. The detent device 154 has a backing plate 156 that can be nonmovably attached against an underside 120 of a boot 112 by a bolt 134, a screw, by welding, by adhesion, or the like, or by any combination thereof. The backing plate 156 can be made of a hard plastic, a metal, a metal alloy, or the like. The backing plate 156 forms a first depression 157, a second depression 158, and a third depression 159. Each depression is a concave indentation sized to seat a ball 160 that is biased by a spring 162 against the backing plate 156.

A cover 164 is connected against the backing plate 156 by the bolt 134 such that it can rotate against and with respect to the backing plate. The cover 164 can be nonmovably attached to a base 136 of a bracket 128 by the bolt 134, a screw, by welding, by adhesion, or the like, such that the bracket does not rotate with respect to the base. The cover 164 has a threaded opening 165 to receive the screw 152, and has a ball housing portion 166 to support the ball 160 and the spring 162. Like the backing plate 156, the cover 164 can be made of a hard plastic, a metal, a metal alloy, or the like.

In other examples, the lock-down device can have other constructions, need not necessarily have all of the components described, and can have additional components. For instance, the lock-down device can have a pair of oppositely positioned wing-screws that tighten down against a backing plate to lock a wheel assembly in a certain position. Also, a spring-biased pin may be inserted into and retracted out of openings for each increment instead of the ball and depressions as described. As yet another example, the cover 164 can include a protrusion having a shape that conforms to the depressions 157-159, so that the detent device need not include the ball 160, spring 162, or their housing 166.

In use, each wheel assembly 114 can be adjusted between the first position, the second position, and the third position. In FIG. 5, the wheel assemblies 114 can be rotated about the axis of adjustment E to orient the wheel assemblies in the first position. The ball 160 is received in the first depression 157, or first increment, and the screw 152 can be tightened down to lock the wheel assembly 114 in the first position. Similar to one of the positions described for the first exemplary embodiment, in the first position here, the roller skate 110 rolls in a direction D that is at a right angle to a longitudinal axis A, and an axis of rotation C is parallel with the longitudinal axis A. To change to the second position as shown in FIG. 7, the screw 152 is loosened and the wheel assembly 114 is rotated in either direction about the axis of adjustment E to the second depression 158, or second increment. The ball 160 exits the first depression 157 and rolls over the backing plate 156 until it is temporarily arrested by the second depression 158. The screw 152 can be tightened down again to lock the wheel assembly 114 in the second position. Similar to the other position described for the first exemplary embodiment, in the second position here, the roller skate 110 rolls in the direction D that is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis A, and the axis of rotation C is also at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis A.

To change to the third position as shown in FIG. 8, the screw 152 is again loosened and the wheel assembly 114 is rotated in either direction to the third depression 159, or third increment. The ball 160 rolls out of the second depression 158 and is temporarily arrested by the third depression 159. The screw 152 can then be tightened down to lock the wheel assembly 114 in the third position. In the third position, the roller skate 110 rolls in the direction D that is parallel with the longitudinal axis A and in the straight-ahead direction, and the axis of rotation C is at a right angle to the longitudinal axis A. It should be appreciated that the exact location of the first, second, and third positions can vary such that the roller skate 110 can roll in various directions D. Indeed, in some embodiments there may be a different number of positions, such as only two positions or four positions.

A third exemplary embodiment of a roller skate 210 is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The roller skate 210 can roll in any direction. A wheel assembly 214 can be rotated three-hundred-and-sixty degrees about an axis of adjustment E, and can be locked in any position therealong. A lock-down device 250 has a screw 252 to secure the wheel assembly 214 in the selected position. The screw 252 can be a wing-screw that is tightened and loosened by a user's fingers. The lock-down device 250 also has a backing plate 256 that can be nonmovably attached against an underside 220 of a boot 212 by a bolt 234, a screw, by welding, by adhesion, or the like, or by any combination thereof. A cover 264 can be connected against the backing plate 256 by the bolt 234 such that it can rotate against and with respect to the backing plate. The cover 264 can be nonmovably attached to a base 236 of a bracket 228 by the bolt 234, a screw, by welding, by adhesion, or the like.

In use, each wheel assembly 214 can be adjusted to any position about the axis of adjustment E. In FIG. 9, the wheel assemblies 214 are rotated about the axis of adjustment E to orient the wheel assemblies, and the screw 252 is tightened down to lock the wheel assembly 214. In this position, the roller skate 210 rolls in a direction D that is at a right angle to a longitudinal axis A, and an axis of rotation C is parallel with the longitudinal axis A. To change to another position, the screw 252 is loosened and the wheel assembly 214 is rotated in either direction to a desired position. The desired position can be at any degree of the three-hundred-and-sixty degrees about which the wheel assembly 214 freely rotates, including the first, second, and third positions previously described.

A fourth exemplary embodiment of a roller skate 310 is shown in FIGS. 11-14. The roller skate 310 can roll in three directions and wheel assemblies 314 are maintained parallel in direction with respect to one another in each of the directions. In this embodiment, the roller skate 310 includes a rigid bar or tie rod 370.

The rigid bar 370 connects the wheel assemblies 314 together such that relative adjustment of the wheel assemblies is fixed and rotation of one wheel assembly is translated via the rigid bar to another wheel assembly. The rigid bar 370 can be made out of a hard plastic, a metal, a metal alloy, or the like. Referring to FIG. 12, at a first end 372 the rigid bar 370 is rotatably connected to a bolt 374 such that the rigid bar can rotate about the bolt as the wheel assemblies 314 are being rotated. Though not shown, a bushing may be placed around the bolt 374 to facilitate rotation of the first end 372. A similar connection can be made at a second end 376.

A lock-down device 350 has a screw 352 and a detent device 354 with a ball and spring. A backing plate 356 forms a first depression 357, a second depression 358, and a third depression 359. The backing plate 356 has an arcuate portion 378 that is cut-out as compared to the backing plates shown and described for the second and third exemplary embodiments. A cover 364 is rotatably connected against the backing plate 356.

In use, each wheel assembly 314 can be adjusted between a first position (FIG. 11), a second position (FIG. 13), and a third position (FIG. 14). In contrast to the second exemplary embodiment, these positions do not include the straight-ahead direction. In FIG. 11, the wheel assemblies 314 are oriented in the first position in which a direction D is at a right angle to a longitudinal axis A, and an axis of rotation C is parallel with the longitudinal axis A. In FIG. 13, the wheel assemblies 314 are oriented in the second position in which the direction D is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis A, and the axis of rotation C is also at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis A. And in FIG. 14, the wheel assemblies 314 are oriented in the third position in which the direction D is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis A, and the axis of rotation C is also at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis A. When adjusted between the positions, the rigid bar 370 maintains a fixed relative orientation between both wheel assemblies 314. The arcuate portion 378 provides space between an underside 320 and the cover 364 for the rigid bar 370 as it moves with the wheel assemblies 314 between the various positions, so that the rigid bar does not interfere with rotation.

A fifth exemplary embodiment of a roller skate 410 is shown in FIGS. 15-17. The roller skate 410 includes a stopper 480 to slow or halt the movement of the roller skate. Referring to FIG. 16, the stopper 480 has a semicircular shape and protrudes beyond the sides of a bracket 428 and of a wheel 432. The stopper 480 may be made of a hard rubber. The stopper 480 can be removably mounted to an underside 420 of a boot 412 so that upon excessive use and wear, the stopper can be replaced with a new stopper. The stopper 480 is mounted in a mount direction F that is parallel with a direction D in which the roller skate 410 rolls. The stopper 480 can have a one-piece body and a ribbed outer surface 482.

In use, the ribbed outer surface 482 can contact the skating surface 26 to generate friction with the skating surface and thus slow or halt the roller skate 410 from movement. In an upright position as shown in FIG. 16, the wheels 432 contact the skating surface 26 but the stopper 480 does not contact the skating surface so that the roller skate 410 can move freely without interference from the stopper. In a pivoted position as shown in FIG. 17, the roller skate 410 is pivoted on its wheels 432 about a pivot axis G that is parallel to a longitudinal axis A. The roller skate 410 can be pivoted toward the skating surface 26 and away from the upright position in either direction to contact the skating surface 26.

The stopper 480 can be used with roller skate embodiments other than that shown. For example, for a wheel assembly fixed at an orientation in which the roller skate 410 rolls in the direction D′ (FIG. 3) that is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis A, the stopper 480 can be mounted to the roller skate 410 such that the mount direction F is parallel with the direction D′.

A sixth exemplary embodiment of a roller skate 510 is shown in FIGS. 18-20. The roller skate 510 includes a stopper 580 removably mounted to an underside 520 of a boot 512 by a bolt 584. The stopper 580 has a first portion 586 and a second portion 588. Each portion has a semicircular shape and protrudes beyond a respective side of a bracket 528 and of a wheel 532. And each portion can have a ribbed outer surface 582. In an upright position as shown in FIG. 19, neither of the portions contacts the skating surface 26, and in a pivoted position as shown in FIG. 20, either of the portions can contact and generate friction with the skating surface. Other stopper arrangements can be utilized as desired or appropriate for a particular application.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.

As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation. 

1. A roller skate comprising: a boot having an underside with a longitudinal axis extending from a back end to a front end; and at least two wheel assemblies mounted to the underside and each having a wheel and an axle, the wheel assemblies being positioned in at least a first position in which the wheels rotate about an axis of rotation that is static during use and in which the wheel assemblies are parallel to each other and positioned in a direction that is nonparallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein, when the roller skate is in an upright position, the wheels are in contact with a skating surface below the roller skate.
 2. The roller skate of claim 1 wherein the wheel assemblies are unadjustably fixed in the first position in which the axis of rotation is directed generally in parallel with the longitudinal axis and the roller skate rolls in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
 3. The roller skate of claim 1 wherein the wheel assemblies are unadjustably fixed in the first position in which the axis of rotation is directed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis and the roller skate rolls in a direction that is also at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.
 4. The roller skate of claim 1 further comprising a stopper mounted to the boot, wherein the stopper contacts the skating surface when the roller skate is pivoted on the wheels about a pivot axis in parallel with the longitudinal axis and pivoted away from the upright position.
 5. The roller skate of claim 1 wherein the wheel assemblies are adjustable from the first position in which the axis of rotation is directed generally in parallel with the longitudinal axis and in which the roller skate rolls in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and to at least a second position in which the axis of rotation is directed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis and in which the roller skate rolls in a direction that is also at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis.
 6. The roller skate of claim 5 further comprising a rigid bar connecting each of the wheel assemblies wherein, adjustment of one wheel assembly is translated via the rigid bar to the other wheel assembly such that the relative positioning of the wheel assemblies is fixed.
 7. The roller skate of claim 5 further comprising a lock-down device that enables selective locking and unlocking of the wheel assemblies in the first position or the second position.
 8. The roller skate of claim 7 wherein the lock-down device includes a detent device and a screw, and wherein the wheel assemblies adjust about an axis of adjustment, the detent device arresting the movement of the wheel assemblies about the axis of adjustment at distinct increments including a first increment for the first position and a second increment for the second position, the screw tightening and loosening to secure the wheel assemblies at one of the increments and to move the wheels between the increments.
 9. The roller skate of claim 8 wherein the detent device includes a ball and a backing plate, the ball being in contact with the backing plate and being biased toward the backing plate, the backing plate having a depression for each increment, wherein, when the ball is received in one of the depressions, the movement of the wheel assemblies about the axis of adjustment is arrested.
 10. A roller skate comprising: a boot having an underside extending in a longitudinal direction from a back end to a front end; and at least two wheels mounted to the underside, the wheels being adjustable between at least two positions including a first position in which the roller skate rolls in a direction that is at a right angle to the longitudinal direction, and in a second position in which the roller skate rolls in a direction that is at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction.
 11. The roller skate of claim 10 further comprising a stopper mounted to the boot, wherein the stopper contacts a skating surface below the roller skate when the roller skate is pivoted on the wheels about a pivot axis directed in parallel with the longitudinal direction and pivoted away from the upright position.
 12. The roller skate of claim 10 further comprising a rigid bar connecting each of the wheels wherein, adjustment of one wheel is translated via the rigid bar to the other wheel such that the relative positioning of the wheels is fixed.
 13. The roller skate of claim 10 wherein the wheels are adjustable to a third position in which the roller skate rolls in a direction that is parallel with the longitudinal direction.
 14. The roller skate of claim 10 further comprising a lock-down device that enables selective locking and unlocking of the wheels in the first position or the second position.
 15. The roller skate of claim 14 wherein the lock-down device includes a detent device and a screw, the detent device arresting the movement of the wheels about an axis of adjustment at distinct increments including a first increment for the first position and a second increment for the second position, the screw tightening and loosening to secure the wheels at one of the increments and to move the wheels between the increments.
 16. The roller skate of claim 15 wherein the detent device includes a ball and a backing plate, the ball being in contact with the backing plate and being biased toward the backing plate, the backing plate having a depression for each increment, wherein, when the ball is received in one of the depressions, the movement of the wheels about the axis of adjustment is arrested.
 17. A roller skate comprising: a boot having an underside extending in a longitudinal direction from a back end to a front end; at least two wheel assemblies mounted to the underside and each having a wheel and an axle, the wheels rotating about an axis of rotation during use, the wheel assemblies being adjustable about an axis of adjustment between at least a first position in which both wheel assemblies are directed at a right angle to the longitudinal direction and in which the axis of rotation is directed in parallel with the longitudinal direction, and a second position in which both wheel assemblies are directed in parallel with the longitudinal direction and in which the axis of rotation is directed at a right angle to the longitudinal direction; and a lock-down device that enables selective locking and unlocking of the wheel assemblies in at least the first position or the second position; wherein, when the roller skate is in an upright position, the wheels are in contact with a skating surface below the roller skate. 